Urine clarity inaccurate to rule out urinary tract infection in women.

BACKGROUND A previous study suggested that, among children, a clear urine sample accurately rules out urinary tract infection. The aim of this study was to replicate this previous study done in an adult female population. METHODS We analyzed 100 anonymous urine samples from female patients ages 18 to 50 years who were receiving care in a university hospital system. Urine samples were tested for clarity by determining if newsprint could be legibly read through them. RESULTS Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for the newsprint test were 13.3%, 96.5%, 40.0%, and 86.3%, respectively. CONCLUSION Visual inspection of urine clarity was not sufficiently accurate to rule out urinary tract infection in women.